Mont Saint-Michel Bay to Saint-Malo

Arrive in the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, staying at La Caserne just outside the main tourist site. Time permitting, we highly recommend visiting the abbey and village of Mont Saint-Michel, dedicated to the Archangel Saint Michael. Exploring the narrow streets and ramparts as the tides rise around the island is an unforgettable introduction to Mont Saint-Michel walking.

Today’s walk takes place in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You explore the polders of the bay, where market gardens share the landscape with salt-meadow sheep. The scenery here is constantly transformed by the tides, light and reflections.

The route then climbs gently onto the ancient coastal cliffs of the bay before reaching the charming village of Roz-sur-Couesnon. This peaceful stage offers a wonderful introduction to hiking in Brittany.

Enjoy a walk along the ancient cliffs of the Saint-Broladre massif, offering sweeping views back across the bay of Mont Saint-Michel. You pass through the villages of Roz-sur-Couesnon and Saint-Marcan, following the paths through gently rolling countryside.

The stage ends in Dol-de-Bretagne, a historic town dominated by its impressive Gothic cathedral and medieval streets.

You walk towards Mont-Dol, a striking 65-metre-high granite outcrop steeped in legend and offering magnificent panoramic views across the bay. The route continues to Le Vivier-sur-Mer, an active mussel port known for its bouchot mussels. A final ascent brings you to Cancale, the famous oyster port overlooking the sea.

Leaving Cancale, the path leads to the dramatic Pointe du Grouin, a rocky headland where some of the strongest tidal currents in Europe can be observed. From here, the coastal path follows a succession of rocky promontories and fine sandy beaches, fringed by striking emerald-coloured waters. This is classic Emerald Coast walking, combining wild coastal scenery with constant sea views

Continue along the Emerald Coast, where rocky headlands alternate with sheltered beaches of white sand. The views are ever-changing, with wide horizons and dramatic contrasts between land and sea. You arrive in Saint-Malo, the legendary corsair city, enclosed by impressive ramparts overlooking the estuary of the River Rance.

If times allows, you can do a shorter walk today. You will take a short boat crossing between Saint-Malo and Dinard, and you will then follow the peaceful banks of the River Rance. The route crosses the Rance tidal barrage before looping back towards Saint-Malo. This final walk offers a quieter, greener contrast to the open coastline, rounding off your walking holiday in France perfectly. If you do the walk, you will need to collect your luggage from the hotel in St Malo.